Would you want to come home?

After the football last night, I drafted a post on the boorish bigots, flag-shaggers, thugs, boo-boys and, most of all, out-and-out racists who somehow feel legitimised by national football success, and how their actions make it so hard for me and countless others to fully support England during a major tournament - how it is easier to feel shame, embarrassed to be English. I also vented about the politicians who, by their action or inaction, enable such behaviour. I was quite angry. Because even though I knew, I just knew what the narrative would be on social media after the penalty shoot-out, I was still incensed (and depressed) to see it play out in real time. The conclusion of the post was, if you were football, would you want to come home? To this?

I've deleted my rant, though, because I prefer to focus on the positive, or try, at least. For here is a manager, a progressive patriot, who knows what it's like to win and lose in an England shirt, who has shown faith in the young stars in his team, who gave the nation something to feel good about after a bleak eighteen months of COVID. And here is a young squad (average age at the start of the tournament: 24.8) seemingly unburdened by the failures of the past, ready and willing to take a stand on things that matter, ready to be a team rather than just a collection of individuals. Ready to stand up and be counted. Ready, for example, to step forward and take the fifth, must-score penalty at the end of a shootout, at the tender age of 19.

Despite the ignorant minority, I will be hoping that England make it to the World Cup next year, and do well. I will be hoping they progress far enough in the tournament to give us something to feel positive about again, because god knows we need that. But most of all I'll be hoping that the slogan that ends this closing montage from the BBC, as it has ended every programme of their coverage, still rings true and still holds firm. Hate won't win.